Electric oil and gas producer



1 N. R. LOFTUS. I memo OIL AND ms PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, I919.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ill/r11 4 Int/anion Q R Laftus N. R. LOFTUS. ELECTRIC on AND GAS PRODUCER.

' Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS 1 LOFTUS, OF BECKLEY, WEST VIRGINIA.

ELECTRIC OIL AND GAS PRODUCER.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NIoHoLAs R. Lorrus. a citizen of the United States, residing at Beckley, in the county of Raleigh and State 0f-West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Oil and Gas Producers; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable other skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention relates to an improved device for use in connection with an oil or gas well which has played out and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device so constructed that it may be lowered to a played out well and the oil or gas bearing rock heated thus causing the paraflin which accumulates in the rock to be melted so that it may be drawn out of the Welland leavethe oil or gas bearing rock clean. I

- After an oil well has been in use for a certain length of time the fine crevices through which the oil flows in the rock will be filled and clogged with parafiin thus preventing flow of the oil and causing the well to play out. It has been customary to remedy this by what is called shooting the well or in other words by blasting so that this clogged up rock will be removed thus permitting the oil to again flow.

With this improved device it will not be necessary to shoot the well as the heat willpenetrate the rock for a depth of several feet in all directions about the well thus melting the paraffin and permitting it to be withdrawn from the well. It will thus be seen that with the device a played out well can be easily and quickly caused to flow again.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 's a view showing the improved device partially in side elevation and partially in longitudinal section.

F ig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line er- 2 of Fig. 1.-

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on.

the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. 7 Fig.4 is a transverse sectiontaken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig.1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

This device is provided with a tubular body or shell 10 which is open at its upper end and provided with a solid base or nose .11 so that the device may be lowered into a well and not damaged by striking the bottom of the well. This shell will be formed of strong metal and preferably formed of cast steel so that it will be strong and durable. A cap or head 12 is provided for the tubular body and is releasably held in connection therewith by bolts 13 which pass through openings 14 formed in the head-and into threaded openings 15 formed in the walls of the shell. Feet 16 are formed in the head for the heads of the bolts thus preventing the heads of the bolt from extending beyond the sides of the head or cap and thus doing away with the danger of the bolt striking against the sides of the well and becoming broken. This head or cap is formed of cast steel and is provided with a pocket 17 having a threaded outer portion as shown at 18 and the cap is further provided with openings 19 which extend from the pockets 17 through the inner end of the 5 cup 20 which formsa container is position'ed within the shell or casing 10 and is formed of porcelain or other insulating material which will prevent a short circuit being formed (through the shell when the device is in'operation, This container 20 1s provided with an inwardly extending rib 21 which extends longitudinally of the container and is provided with a longitudinally extending passage 22 for receiving the conductor 23 which conductor will be preferably formed of copper. A copper contact plate 24 is positioned in the bottom of the container and is provided wlth, an upstanding ear 25 through which extends a fastener 26 which will also be formed of copper and will extend through the by-pass 27 near the bottomof the rib 21 and engage the lower or inner end portion of the con- Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed November 25, 1919. Serial No. 340,497. 1

ductor 23. Therefore the contact plate 24 I will connect with the conductor 23. A core 28 which is formed of retortcarbon is posicontact plate 29, the plate 29 being also; formed of copper and provided -w1th any opening through which the copper conductor 30 may be passed. This conductor will be threaded and it will be secured in engagement with the contact plate through the medium of the securing nuts .31 screwed upon its lower end and engaging the under or inner face of the contact plate 29. From an inspection of Fig. 1 it will be noted that a container 20 terminates short of the upper 23 through the medium of the bolt 26 and end of the shell and that insulating grids 32 and 33 will be put in place between the container and the cap 12 thus closing the top of the container and not only serving as a closure for the container but also as insulating means between the plate 29 and cap.

A neck 34 which will be of a suitable length is formed of a tube of cast metal such as cast steel and is screwed into the threaded outer end portion of the socket 17 as shown in Fig. 1, the neck carrying a core or filler 35 which is formed of porcelain or any other insulating material and is provided with passages 36 through which the conductor rods 37 pass. These conductor rods are formed of copper and will be releasab-ly connected with the conductors 30 and 38 as shown at 39. In order to insulate the conductors from the cap there has been pro- '43 which registers with one of the openings 42 for passage of the conductor 30 and is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 44 having its inner end communicating with the second passage 42 and having its outer end communicating with an opening 45 which extends through the inner grid and registers with the passage 22 of the rib 21.

In assembling this device the container 20 will first have the lower contact plate put in place and connected with the conductor the carbon cone will then be inserted and compressed tightly in the container. After the conductor'30 has been connected with the upper contact plate 29 the conductor will be passed through the opening 43 and the outer end portion of the conductor 43 will then be passed through the opening 45 and the inner grid will be placed against the outer end of the container. It will be neces sary to force the inner grid-toward the container thus thoroughly compressing the carbon through the medium of the contact plate 29 and causing the inner end portion of the conductor 30 and the securing nut 31 to be embedded in the carbon. The outer end portion of the conductor 23 will now be bent to lie flat in the groove 44 and after the conductor 38 has been connected with the conductor 23 the second grid or outer grid 33 will be put in place and the cap then put in place and secured by the bolts. The conductor rods 30 and 38 will extend into the pockets 17 for engagement by the couplers 39 which connect them with the conductors 37. The insulating sleeve or core 35 does not fit tightly within the neck 34 thus permitting the neck to be rotated without turning the core when screwing the neck into the threaded outer end portion of the socket. After the neck has been put in place the cap or clevis 46 will be screwed upon the neck and the feed wires 47 passed into the clevis and connected with the outer end portions of the conductor rods 37.

lVhen a well has played out and it is desired to renew the life of the same the improved device will be lowered into the well through the medium of a line secured in the clevis and after the device has been lowered the current will be turned on thus causing the casing to be heated. The heat will penetrate the rock forseveral feet and will melt the paraffin which clogs the crevices through which the oil feeds. This melted paraffin will be pumped out of the well and when the oil is again flowing properly the device will be removed. It will thus be seen that it is not necessary to shoot the well and that therefore a great deal of time and labor will be saved.

What is claimed is 1. An oil well heater comprising a hollow body, a container of insulating material positioned in the body, a closure cap of insulating material for the container, a cap for said body, terminal contact plates positioned in the container at opposite ends thereof, a resistance in the container between the terminal contact elements, and

conductors extending through the cap of said body and insulated therefrom, one of the conductors extending through the cap of said container and connected with one of the terminals of the contact plates, the second conductor extending longitudinally of the container and connected with the second terminal of the contact element.

2. An oil well heater comprising a hollow body, a cap for said body, a container of insulating material positioned within the body and open at one end, a closure cap of insulating material for the open end of the container, terminal contact plates positioned in the container at the ends thereof, a core of retort carbon filling thecontainer between the contact plates and having engagement with the contact plates, a conductor extending through the cap of said body and container and connected with the contact plate at one end thereof, and'a second conductor extending through the cap of said body and container and extending through a passage formed in the wall of its conend thereof, a neck connected with said head, a core of.insulating material for said neck, an open ended container of insulating materialv positioned in the body terminal contact plates of c0nducting material positioned at the ends of said container, a core of retort carbon positioned in the container between the terminal contact plates, a conductor extending through a passage formed in the wall of said container and connected with the contact plate at the inner end thereof, and conductors extending through the insulating core of said neck and through the cap of said body, one of the last mentioned conductors connecting with the terminal contact plates at the outer end of the container the second being connected with the conductor extending through the wall of the container.

4. An oil well heater comprisinga holmentioned plate.

low body open at its upper end and provided with a thickened lower end, a container of insulating material positioned in the body and open at its outer end, the wall of the body provided with a longitudinally ex tending passage communicating with the interior thereof adjacent the inner end of the container, a terminal contact plate in the container connected with the conductor extending through the passage, inner and outer grids of insulating material closing the open outer end of the container, terminal plates in the container at the outer end thereof, a resistance in the container between the contact plates, a head for the body, a, neck for the head, a clevis carried by the neck, and conductors extending throughthe neck and head and connected with the first mentioned conductor and last In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NICHOLAS R. LOFTUS. Witnesses:

B. B. GUNNOE,

W. E. GRIFFITHS. 

